Method of impregnating beer wort with yeast



March 10, 1936. w CLARK 2,033,326

METHOD OF IMPREGNATING BEER WORT WITH YEAST Filed May 3, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. F. CLARK March 10, 1936.

METHOD OF IMPREGNATING BEER WORT WITH YEAST W WW/M mm. 5 QM u H J MW 00 J I; u

Filed May 3, 1933 March 10, 1936.

w. F. CLARK 2,033,326 METHOD OF IMPREGNAEING BEER WORT WITH YEAST Filed May 5, 1933 s Sheets-Sheet s Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF IMPREGNATIN G BEER WORT WITH YEAST This invention which relates generally to the art of brewing is concerned with certain improvements in a method of and apparatus for produce ing beer or any liquid in which fermentation is an essential part of the process. For its objects, my invention aims to accelerate the fermenting process by the maintenance of conditions most favorable for the purpose, the utilization of apparatus which is simple, relatively inexpensive, and compact in size, and the production of a brew which is uniform at all times, which is superior in taste and flavor, which is free from turbidity and improved as to clarity, and in which a lesser amount of yeast or other fermenting agent is required. These and other objects are attained by the method and apparatus of this invention of which a suggestive embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in the manner following:

Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic view illustrating the connected relation of the principal units required for the brewing operation;

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section of the treating unit;

Fig. 3 which is a longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 exhibits the conditioning apparatus which may conveniently be located at the head of the treating unit; and

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are transverse sections through the treating unit taken, respectively, on lines 4-4, 55, 6-6 and L-l thereof.

In Figl 1, I have shown a layout which includes a brewing kettle A in connection with a hop jack B from which wort is forced by a pump C to' a treating unit D from which leads a connection to certain settling tanks E. Provision is also made through suitable connections for drawing the wort from the settling tanks to fermenting tanks F and thence-to casks G.

The connection from the pump to the treating unit may consist of a pipe I!) having therein a valve ll. Joined to this pipe at a point between the valve and treating unit is a valved pipe l2 leading to a source of steam supply. At the bottom or exit end of the treating unit is a pipe 44 connecting with a crossfitting l5 from which lead (1) branch pipes Hi to the settling tanks, and (2) a drain pipe I! to a source of waste disposal. As by means of valves l8, communication with the settling tanks may be shut off, and by opening a valve l9 communication is established through the drain pipe ll. When steam is to be admitted to the interior of the treating unit, the valve H is first closed, the valves l8 are likewise closed, and the valve I9 is opened so that the steam may pass through the treating unit and out again through the drain pipe H. In this manner the interiorof the treating unit may be cleaned out and sterilized. Each of the settling tanks may be equipped 5 of the fermented liquid may be controlled in any 10 desired manner.

The treating unit wherein are incorporatedthe principal features of my invention may comprise a generally cylindrical main tank having walls 25 which converge at 26 to form a bottom wherein is a discharge opening 21; and in the construction shown, over the open upper end of such a tank is fitted a head having walls 28 complementary to the walls and forming, in efiect,

an upper extension thereof. The head is pro- 0 vided also with top and bottom walls 29 and 30 respectively. The several outside walls of the tank and head are. desirably insulated so as to provide, in effect, a'closed housing wherein may be maintained special conditions of temperature, 5

humidity, etc. as found most advantageous. Within this housing are contained certain passages, chambers, tanks, sprays, coolers, and the like for (1) cooling the wort; (2) aerating the 'wort; (3) activating and agitating yeast; (4) 30'.

circulating yeast-laden air through the wort and yeast under agitation; (5) filtering, washing and cooling the air which is initially circulated through chambers containing the wort and yeast;

(6) controlling this circulation automatically in accordance with the temperature of the air'so conditioned, and otherwise regulating closely the processing conditions, all as will now be explained.

The-head of the treating unit is walled to provide a central chamber 35 having at'the top an inlet opening wherein is a filter 36 and a series of dampers 31. Openings in opposite walls of this chamber communicate with side chambers 38 in each of which are water sprays 39 for cleaning and scrubbing the incoming air and eliminator plates 40 by which excess moisture is removed from the air. Beyond'the side chani- 7 bersare vertical passages 4| which communicate with cooling chambers 42 through which air is drawn by a rotary fan 43 from which it is discharged downwardly into a central duct 44 extending vertically through the main tank of the treating unit. The fan may be operated from a controlled speed motor 45 with which it is in belt connection, asshown. Suitable drip pans the discharged water and condensate. The structure just described comprises several chambers and mechanisms which, in their entirety, may be applied to and connected with the upper end of the main tank of the-treating unit to serve as a head therefor; such a relationship, although conducive to compactness and economy, is not essential, however, as these several chambers and mechanisms may obviously be located otherwise so long as they remain properly connected to a treating unit tank equipped with a head or top wall of its own.

Within the main tank and grouped around its central duct 44, are a plurality of chambers, four being the number shown. Into three of these chambers 50 wort is delivered by a manifold connection 5| with the pipe 10. As these wort chambers are identical, a description of but one will suffice. There is also a fourth chamber 52 wherein yeast, or other fermenting agent, is introduced for activation. The number and relative capacity of these several chambers so ac commodated within the main tank of the treating unit will be determined according to what is found in practice to be most advantageous, it being my purpose to provide a yeast chamber Whose capacity will substantially balance that of the remaining chambers through which the wort is passed, cooled and aerated.

The yeast chamber may be closed at its top, as may also be the wort chambers, by the bottom wall 30 of the tank head. Through this wall is an opening 55 directly above the yeast chamber. A duct 56 extends vertically from this opening through the -head and through the top wall 29 thereof. Yeast in powder, liquid, or other suitable form may be introduced through the inlet endof the duct to pass down into the yeast chamber;

Here is provided a series of horizontal grates 69, arranged one below the other in staggered relation. Each grate extends close to the walls of the vice extends between the several sprockets, so

that upon application of a force to the handle 65 extending from one of these sprockets, the several grates are rotated in unison. By some such means as this, I provide for reversing the grate bars when and as desired, so that any accumulation of yeast material will be dumped and fall to or through the grate occupying the next lowermost position.

It may be-desirable to refrigerate the yeast chamber, and for this purpose I have shown near the bottom thereof a coiled pipe 66 through which a refrigerating fluid may be circulated. The yeast which drops from the grates above may pass by and through the coils of this refrigerating pipe to reach the converging bottom end of the chamber wherein is a central discharge opening 6! hav- 7 ing a valve 68.

The central duct 44 through which the cooled purified air is forced downwardly is desirably closed by a bottom end Wall 10. Adjacent the bottom are a series of openings H one communicating with each of the wort and yeast chambers.

. 46 and drain pipes 41 are provided for taking off The flow of air through each of these openings may be regulated by a damper 12 operated as by a motor 13 under control of a thermostatic device 14. The air passing from the central duct into the yeast chamber will accordingly be circulated upwardly therein past the refrigerating coils and the several grates thereabove to aerate and activate the yeast descending through the chamber.

Recirculation of some of the yeast laden air passing on upwardly through the duct 56 may also be provided for. To accomplish this, I provide a connecting pipe 15 extending from the duct 56 to one of the vertical passageways 4|, a valve 16 being interposed in the connecting pipe to control the flow of yeast laden air therethrough. In this manner, the air, after circulation through the yeast chamber, may be recirculated through one of the cooling chambers 42, through the fan 43, down through the duct 44, and into the several wort and yeast chambers in connection therewith.

The several wort chambers 50 are intercon nected near their upper ends by the manifold pipe 5| with which the delivery pipe II] is also connected. Wort, which is accordingly pumped into each of these chambers, is delivered thereinto through nozzles 8| which discharge the wort in a finely divided condition. Below these nozzles, and in the path of the descending wort streams, are a series of cooling units 82 arranged one above the other. These units are desirably of the copper fin type with intervening spaces through which the wort may flow downwardly. The refrigerant supplied to these cooling units is circulated through inlet and outlet pipes 83 and 84, respectively. At the lower end of each wort chamber, cooled air, forced from the central duct 44, is delivered to upflow counter to the downflow of the wort, so as to thoroughly mix therewith and aerate the same. Any spaces to the outside of these cooling units may be closed off as by fiashings 85 whereby all the wort and air in moving through the chamber is required to pass between and adjacent the cooling fins. A connecting pipe 86 in which is a regulating valve 81 extends from one or more of the wort chambers to the central chamber 35 in the tank head, thus providing for recirculation of the ether vapors which are given off in consequence of change in temperature of the wort being treated.

The bottom end of each wort chamber converges toward a discharge orifice 90 in which is positioned a valve 9|. Each of these valves, as well as the valves 68 in the discharge opening of the yeast chamber, is carried upon a shaft 92 extending through the walls of the main tank to the exterior thereof. Upon the outer end of each such shaft is a wheel 93 connected with the others as by a chain or belt 94 (see Fig. 7) so as to be operated in unison. In this manner I am enabled to regulate simultaneously and uniformly v the size of the openings through which yeast and wort is discharged from their respective chambers into the bottom of the main tank for commingling.

The operations just described provide inter alia for (1) activation of the yeast and (2) aeration of the wort, priorto the one being mixed with the other. The carbon dioxide resulting from fermentat ion is taken from the bottom of the main tank through a vent pipe 96 to a storage tank, or elsewhere as desired. I provide in addition a bypass 9! connecting the yeast tank with one of the wort tanks, together with a valve 98 having a control 99 therefor. This by-pass which extends between the two tanks in question adjacent their lower ends may be opened up when and if desired for the flow of wort into the yeast tank to wash out therefrom any yeast which may have accumulated around the discharge orifice tending to obstruct the discharge of yeast therethrough.

From the foregoing description, it will benoted that I have provided for maintenance of an accurate and automatic control of conditions throughout the various chambers'of the treating unit; and that these conditions are such as to activate the yeast, in preparation for fermentation of the wort, and to accelerate preparation of the Wort, both as to temperature and oxygen content, for combination with the yeast. Inasmuch as the control of these conditions mentioned may be maintained accurately and automatically, it follows that a uniform product may be obtained with a lesser-amount of attention on the part of the operators. The air conditioning apparatus is desirably contained in a housing of its own which is independent of the. treating tank. If positioned directly over and upon the tank, it provides a head therefor, thereby completing a desired insulation from conditions existing exteriorly of the treating unit. According to my improved method of brewing, the rate of fermentation may be controlled, i. e., accelerated or decelerated. This is accomplished by automatic or manual regulation of the conditioning apparatus whereby to maintain a desired temperature, humidity, filtering and washing of air as applied to the wort and to the yeast. From the moment that the hot wort is introduced into the treating unit, it is acted upon by agencies which operate in a closed container from which external influences are excluded. The same is true of the yeast while undergoing activation, and of the wort and yeast when first combined. The addition of oxygen to both the wort and yeast before commingling renders each more susceptible of combining with the other, with the consequence that fermentation is thereafter accelerated.

As hereinbefore suggested, the apparatus and process of my invention may be found applicable to the preparation of liquids in which fermentation is an essential part of the process. Beer is one example, and wine is another. For the'fermenting agent yeast may be used, and possibly also other substances as well. Accordingly it will be understood that in employing the terms wort and yeast herein, I am referring, respectively, to

a liquid and a fermenting agent therefor, the one interacting with the other in the manner common to thesubstances mentioned.

Y I claim:

1. A continuous method of treating yeast fermentable wort which comprises filtering, washing and regulating the water content and temperature of a body of air to produce a condition thereof which will not injure yeast cells, dividing the air so treated into two streams, passing one stream through wort and drawing off the merging vapor-laden portion thereof, passing the second stream into contact with yeast whereby the stream becomes yeast laden, and combining the yeast and vapor laden streams with air during the treatment to condition the same.

2. A continuous method of treating yeast fermentable wort, which comprises filtering, washing and regulating the water content and temperature of a body of air to produce a condition thereof which will not injure yeast cells, dividing the. body of air so treated into two streams, passing one stream through sprayed wort while the latter is being refrigerated, refrigerating the second stream and passing itupwardly through and over powdered yeast whereby it becomes yeast laden, then combining the stream emerging from the sprayed wort and the yeast laden stream with the air as it leaves the filtering, washing, water content and temperature regulating treatment.

Ii. A continuous method of treating yeast ferment-able wort, which comprises filtering, washing and regulating the water content and temperature of a body of air to produce a condition thereof which will not injure yeast cells, dividing the body of air so treated into two streams, passing one stream through sprayed wort while the latter is .being refrigerated, refrigerating the lating treatment, and finally mixing the treated wort with yeast which has been subjected to aeration.

4. In a continuous method oftreating yeast ferm'entable wort, the steps which comprise filtering, washing and regulating the water content and temperature of a main body of air to produce acondition thereof which will not injure yeast cells, dividing the body of air so treated into two streams, introducing yeast into one stream for ladening the same with yeast cells, returning the yeastladen stream to the main body of air, and passing the second stream through wort for cooling and inoculating the latter.

5. In a continuous method of treating yeas fermentable wort, the steps which comprise filtering, washing and regulating the water content and temperature of a main body of air to produce a condition thereof which will not injure yeast cells, dividing the body of air so treated into two streams, introducing yeast into one stream for ladening, thesame with yeast cells, returning the yeast laden stream to the main body of air, and passing the second stream through wort for cooling and inoculating the latter, then WILLIAM F. CLARK. 

